Clear mysql command line history stored in ~/.mysql_history file

Q. How do I clear the mysql command line history stored in ~/.mysql_history file?

A. mysql is a simple SQL shell. It supports interactive and non-interactive use.

On Unix and Linux, the mysql client writes a record of executed statements to a history file. By default, the history file is named .mysql_history and is created in your home directory. To specify a different file, set the value of the MYSQL_HISTFILE environment variable.

Setting MYSQL_HISTFILE to /dev/null is not such a good idea as mysql tries to creates the file on startup. Thus it replaces /dev/null by a regular file accessible only by root – not something you want to do on your server system! In case you already tried and hosed your /dev/null, the following command will restore it:mknod -m 666 /dev/null c 1 3 charon

nixcraft, if you set the environment variable MYSQL_HISTFILE to /dev/null, there is no symlink but the file is accessed directly. If you create the symlink, you don’t run into the troubles I described. Of course you’re right, you should never ever work as root, but… you know… charon